There is more work being done in Germany than ever before - this is the result of a study by the DIW. The increased participation of women in professional life plays a particularly important role.
Berlin - Despite the economic downturn, according to a study, people are working more in Germany than ever before. Employees worked a total of around 55 billion hours last year, according to the study published on Wednesday (April 17) by the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW). This is the highest value since reunification. In 1991 there were 52 billion hours, and at its lowest point in 2005 it was only 47 billion hours. At the same time, however, the average weekly working hours of employees are continually falling.
Germans are working more than ever: women are at a record high
“The overall volume of work has increased primarily because more and more women are working,” said study author Mattis Beckmannshagen. “However, almost half of women in Germany work part-time, although some would like to work more. So their potential for the labor market remains partially unused.” This leads to a relatively low average working time for all employees of 34.7 hours per week compared to Europe, while in Spain it is 37.6.
According to the information, women's labor force participation in Germany rose by 16 points to 73 percent between 1991 and 2022. This reflects the social change from a single-earner to a two-earner household. However, women still spend significantly more time on child care and housework than men. When it comes to paid work, the situation is still exactly the opposite: women work an average of around 33 hours, while men work 40 hours.
Reform of wage tax classes called for
The average weekly working hours for men have declined slightly since 2011. However, when it came to care and housework, they were slow to catch up. If the current trend continues, it will take decades, especially when it comes to childcare, before men and women spend the same amount of time on it. The working hours realized do not necessarily correspond to the wishes of the employees: according to the study, the proportion of women who want to increase their working hours is higher than that of men.
“In order to meet the need for skilled workers, women’s labor market potential should be better utilized and false incentives eliminated,” said study author Annika Sperling. Reforms to income tax brackets and spouse splitting could make it more worthwhile for women as second earners to extend their working hours beyond the mini-job limit. However, this also requires a fairer distribution of tasks between the genders when it comes to childcare and household chores. Politicians could support this development with additional daycare places and parental leave regulations for fathers.
For the study, the DIW evaluated, among other things, data from the Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) - a representative survey of private households in Germany. (
Reuters, lf)